Semiautomatic galvanizing process apparatus



March 17, 1970 T. F. HAMMER 3,500,979

SEMI-AUTOMATIC GALVANIZING PROCESS APPARATUS Filed Jan. 22, 1968 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Maern, Ware X awls.

Hrromarai T'. F. HAMMER March 17, 1970 SEMI-AUTOMATIC GALVANIZINGPROCESS APPARATUS Filed Jan. 22, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.fizarvalc? E' Hammer Maern. Ware & m/S

March 17, 1970 T. F. HAMMER 3,500,979

SEMI-AUTOMATIC GALVANIZING PROCESS APPARATUS Filed Jan. 22, 1968 3Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Than/air? l? famme? diferir Ware 2e Bal/41s'z'roR/YFYS.

United .States Patent O 3,500,979 SEMIAUTOMATIC GALVANIZING PROCESSAPPARATUS Thorvald F. Hammer, Branford, Conn., assignor to MIFIndustries, Inc., Branford, Conn. Filed Jan. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 699,386Int. 'CL B65g 29/00 U.S. Cl. 198-19 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSUREMachinery for the semautornatic galvanizing of small parts. A number ofprocessing stations, including a loading station, a galvanizing dip, acentrifuge, and a dumping station, are located at spaced points around acircular processing path. A central upstanding post has a number of armsradiating outwardly to the processing stations, and the arms are drivenrotationally about the post. The parts to be galvanized are suspendedfrom the radial arms and thus transported automatically to eachprocessing station in turn. Means are provided for raising and loweringthe parts according to the requirements of each processing station. Theoperator is able to pull the arms manually forward of their drivenpositions to accelerate certain processing steps, and also has manualcontrol over additional power-assisted means for raising and loweringthe parts at the centrifuge station.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relatesgenerally to processing machinery, and in particular to apparatus for asemiautomatic galvanizing process.

The prior art Galvanizing is a well known process for coating small ironparts with zinc, so as to protect them from corrosion. The small partsare immersed in a molten zinc bath, and then may be centrifuged to spinoff the excess zinc. If the production volume is low, one may put a fewparts in a bucket and manually move the bucket through the galvanizatingbath and the centrifuging process. On the other hand, for high volumeproduction, large and expensive machines have been developed to performthe galvanizing process in a highly automated and continuous fashion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention stands somewhere betweenthese two extremes. It provides novel apparatus of the type summarizedin the Abstract above, for production runs which are not so large as tojustify the expense of very large, very rapid, and highly automaticmachinery. On the other hand, it permits an operator who remains inmanual attendance to greatly increase his rate of production, byperforming many of the steps in the galvanizing process automatically.Other steps require operator intervention, but the machine greatlyassists the operator in performing these steps, and enables him togalvanize more parts with greater ease. For this reason, the apparatusof this invention has been characterized as semiautomatic.

One object of the invention is to provide semiautomatic processingequipment. Itis also an object to maximize the ease and rapidity ofoperation of processing machinery, without incurring all the expenseusually associated with the very high volume machinery. Another objectis to maximize the ease and rapidity of operation of those productionprocesses which require human intervention. It is also an object tominimize the labors of the human operator. In particular, this inventionseeks to give the operator suicient time to complete one step of theprocess before the machinery requires that the next step be performed.It attempts to allow the operator to work at his own pace, although incooperation with the machine. Another object is to provide a manuallycontrolled power assist for raising and lowering heavy materials whenrequired. Still another object is to minimize the amount of humanintervention required in processes.

The invention can take various forms, rather than being limited to anyparticular apparatus. However, in order to facilitate a detaileddescription of the invention, it will be described by reference toparticular embodiments illustrated in the following drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. l is a top plan View of aparticular embodiment of a semiautomatic galvanizing machine built inaccordance with the principals of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the same apparatus, and an operatorin the process of using such apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of that portion of theapparatus of the previous figures which controls the raising andlowering of the parts to be galvanized as required by the processingsteps.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the portion of the apparatus of FIG. 3taken along the lines 4--4.

FIG. 5 is a sectional View of the same apparatus, taken along the lines5 5.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of an alternative embodiment ofa semiautomatic galvanizing machine built in accordance with theprinciples of this invention, employing another specific mechanism forcontrolling the raising and lowering of the parts to be galvanized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. l shows theoverall arrangement of the particular galvanizing apparatus depicted inthe drawings. This arrangement is best appreciated in terms of thesequence of steps for galvanizing small iron parts. The parts aredelivered along a channel 10, which may be either a mechanized conveyorbelt or a gravity chute. The parts arriving along channel 10 aredelivered to a hopper 12 Where they are accumulated until the operatorof the galvanizing machine is ready to begin galvanizing them.

They next are transported, in a manner which will be fully describedbelow, to a series of processing stations. The rst of these stationsconsists of a tank 14 which contains the usual galvanizing bath ofmolten zinc. The next station is a centrifuge 16 at which the excessmolten zinc is spun off the iron parts. Then the parts are brought to adumping station which includes machinery 18 for unloading the parts ontoa channel 20, either a mechanized conveyer belt or a gravity chute,which carries the nished galvanized parts away.

FIG. 1 best illustrates the fact that the processing stationsrepresented by the hopper 12, the tank 14, the centrifuge 16, and theunloader 18, are all arranged generally along the arc of a circle, sothat rotating equipment can be used to transport the iron parts to eachsucceeding processing station in a turn. This rotating equipnent ismounted upon a fixed upstanding central post 30. is best seen in FlG. 2,the lower portion of post is urrounded by a hollow shaft 32. This shaftis rotation- .lly driven about the fixed central post 30 by aconvenional motor and gear mechanism enclosed within the rousing 34. Therotation of hollow shaft 32 drives the ransporting machinery whichcarries the iron parts on heir circular trip through the succession ofprocessing tations described.

The rotary motion of shaft 32 is transmitted to a heavy nollar 36secured to the shaft 32, as for example by a et screw 38. The collar 36has secured thereto a circular able 40 which. supports the mechanism fortransporting he iron parts, and is rotationally driven by the shaft 32ind collar 36 so as to effect the necessary circular motion hrough asuccession of processing station.

A pair of carrier arms and 52 are supported upon he rotating table 40,and are rotationally driven by the able 40 by means of drive pins 54 and55 secured to the op surface of the table 40 and bearing against thesides if carrier arms 50 and 52 respectively as the table 40 otates.

The upstanding central post 30 passes loosely through he centers of thecarrier arms 50 and 52 so as to center hem properly without impedingtheir rotational motion tbout the post 30. The opposite ends of carrierarms 50 ind S2 extend radially outward from the center of rotaiondefined by post 30, and each radially remote end of t carrier arm hasmeans for suspending therefrom a ucket of small iron parts to begalvanized. For example, uckets 60 and 62 are suspended from oppositeends of :arrier arm 50, while buckets 64 and 66 are suspended rom theopposite ends of carrier arms 52. As the carrier f rms 50 and 52 arerotated in the direction of arrow '0, the buckets 60, 66, 62 and 64 inthat order, are rought around to the successive processing stations.

As a particular bucket proceeds from station to staions, it becomesnecessary to raise and lower the bucket n accordance with therequirements of succeeding procssing steps. For example, as any one ofthe buckets hrough 66 passes the hopper 12, it must be at the rightleight to permit the parts in the hopper to be dropped ravitationallyinto the bucket. Then the bucket must be aised high enough to clear thewall of the tank 14 at he entrance end thereof. Immediately after that,the lucket must be lowered into the galvanizing bath conained in thetank 14. Next the bucket is pulled slowly hrough the galvanizing bath,and is then raised out of he bath near the exit end of the tank 14 sothat it can lear the tank wall once again. Then, as best seen in 4`IG. 2the bucket must be lowered into the centrifuge .6 and subsequentlyraised out of it at the end of the entrifuging operation. Finally, thebucket must be at the ight height to be deposited upon the unloadingdevice 8 at the end of the entire process, so that the device 18 an tipthe bucket over and dump its contents onto the xit channel 20.Accordingly, the buckets are suspended rom the carrier arms 50 and 52 bya mechanism which aises and lowers them according to requirements.

As best seen in FIG. 2, each of the buckets, e.g., 66, s provided withthe usual carrying handle 80, by means if which it is suspended from ahook 82 and cable 84. `he cable in turn is pivotely secured to a pin 86at one nd. of a rocker arm 88. The rocker arm is affixed to a rankshaft90 for rotation therewith. The crankshaft in urn is journaled in a pairof brackets 92 and 94 rising rom the upper surface of the left half ofcarrier arm 2 as seen in FIG. 2. Rotation of the crank shaft 90 erves torock the arm 88 up or downvas indicated by rrow so as to raise or lowerthe bucket 66 accordig to the requirements of the galvanizing process ateach tage.

A similar mechanism for suspending and for raising nd lowering thediametrically opposite bucket 64 is iounted on the opposite end of thecarrier arm 52, as

4 best seen in FIG. 1. The remaining buckets 60 and 62 are alsosuspended from similar raising and lowering mechanisms located at theopposite ends of carrier arm 50. In FIG. 2 it is seen that buckets 62(solid lines) and 64 are suspended from rocker arms 288 and 388respectively, which are both in a raised position, as is rocker arm 88.Bucket 60 is suspended from rocker arm 488 which is in the lowerposition. The height of buckets 62 (solid lines), 64, and 66 compared tothe lower height of bucket 60 and the broken line representation ofbucket 62, illustrates the manner in which the rocker arms raise and'lower the buckets during the course of a galvanizing process cycle. Thedotted line representation of bucket 62 shows the latter while it islowered into the galvanized dip' of tank 14.

In order to achieve semiautomatic operation, the raising and loweringmechanisms described are automatically controlled to alter the height ofthe respective buckets 60 through 66 in accordance with the differingrequirements of each succeeding processing station. Since each suchprocessing station is located at a different angular position about thearc of circular travel of carrier arms 50 and 52, this is accomplishedby controlling the bucket height as a function of its angular positionat different stages of the circular travel.

It will be recalled from the description of FIGS 1 and 2, that eachbucket, for example bucket 66, is raised or lowered by rocking motion ofthe arm 88 which is associated with the rotation of its crankshaft 90.FIGS. 3 and 4 best illustrate the manner in which rotation of thecrankshaft 90, and its counterpart crankshafts 290, 390 and 490, iscontrolled as a function of angular position of the arms 50 and 52. Atthe radially inward end of the crankshaft 90, beyond its journal bracket94, is affixed a crank arm 110. The remote end of this crank bar carriesa cam-follower pin 112 which is rotatably mounted thereon. This followerrolls along a cam track 114, best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The cam trackis formed by the vertically undulating edge of a cylindrical drum 116secured to a sleeve 118 which in turn is affixed to the central post 30(as best seen in FIG. 2). As the carrier arm 50 is driven through itscircular travel (arrow 70) by its drive pin 54 on the drive table 40,the cam-follower 112 makes a complete circuit of the cam track 114,rising and falling with all of the vertical undulations of the camtrack. Vertical motion of the follower 112 raises and lowers the crankto turn the crankshaft 90 for rocking the arm 88 so that the bucket 66can be lowered or lifted automatically at each angular position aboutthe circular orbit. As clearly indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the height ofthe remaining buckets is similarly controlled by similar mechanismsbearing corresponding reference numerals, e.g., 212, 210, etc. Thus, itwill be appreciated that the buckets 60 through 66 proceed up and downone after the other as they circle through the successive processingstations of this apparatus in a continuous cycle.

Normally the buckets are spaced 90 apart from each other around thecircle. This is determined by placement of the two driving pins, 54 and55, 90 apart from each other. Pin 54 determines the driven position ofcarrier arm 50, and pin 55 determines the driven position of carrier arm52. However, in a semiautomatic process such as this one where theintervention of an operator is required at certain stages, such humanintervention can be accomplished more efficiently if the operator hassome means of moving a desired bucket manually ahead of its drivenposition so that he can have more time to perform manual operations onthat bucket or its contents, before the automatic drive mechanism isready to move the bucket on to the next processing station.

For example, in FIG. 2 a human operator s seen grasping the cable 84 ofbucket 66 which has just emerged from the galvanizing bath in immersiontank 14. The next step in the process calls for the bucket 66 to belowered into the centrifuge 16 and detached from its hook 82 so that thebucket can .be whirled in the centrifuge to spin off excess zinc fromthe galvanizing bath adhering to the iron parts in the bucket. If theoperator does not begin putting the bucket into the centrifuge 16 untilthe carrier arm 52 has been driven by the drive pin 55 far enough aroundthe circle to put the bucket 66 directly over the centrifuge, then therewill not be time for the operator to complete the centrifuging step ofthe process before the driver pin 55 moves the carrier arm 52 and themechanism for suspending bucket 66 on to the next processing station,unloader 18. To avoid this difficulty, the carrier arms 50 and 52 areallowed to pivot freely on the drive table 40 so that each of the armscan be manually pulled ahead of its driven position by the operator.See, for example, the dotted line representation of carrier arm 52 andits associated mechanisms, compared with the solid line representationin FIGS. l and 4. The solid line representation shows the carrier arm 52in the position to which it is driven by contact with its driving pin55, and the dotted line representation shows the arm in a typicalposition to which it is pulled ahead manually by the operator. The arrow120 in FIG. 4 shows the direction of manual advance of the carrier arm52, which is in the same angular sense of the direction of mechanicaldrive indicated by the arrow 70. The latitude of manual advance allowedthe carrier arm 52 is anywhere between its solid line position, engagingdirectly against its own driver pin 55, up to the point where it abutsagainst the driver pin 54 of the other carrier arm 50. The carrier arm50 also has a similar latitude of manual advance in the space betweenits own driver pin 54, and -pin 55 of the other carrier arm 52.

Thus, when the bucket 66 emerges from the galvanizing tank 14, theoperator can grasp the cable 84 and thereby pull the bucket 66, carrierarm 52 and all its associated mechanism forwardly ahead of its drivenposititon, to avoid delay in bringing the bucket 66 to the centrifugingstation. Therefore the bucket can be irnmediately inserted into thecentrifuge 16, and the centrifuging operation takes place, spinning theexcess molten zinc from the galvanized parts. By the time that thedriving pin 55 has caught up with the carrier arm 52, the centrifugingoperation has been completed and the operator is then ready to reattachthe hook 82 to the handle 80 of bucket 66, and send the bucket on itsway to the next processing station, the unloader 18, by means of thecarrier arm 52 driven by its pin 55. Thus, the apparatus of thisinvention solves the problem stated above, by allowing the humanoperator to steal time from the automatic phases of the process so thathe can more easily perform the manual steps.

During the time that the carrier arm 50 or 52 is manually pulled aheadin the manner described, it is necessary that the bucket at thediametrically opposite end of the particular carrier arm be in betweenprocessing stages. For example, while the operator is swinging bucket 66forwardly by rotating carrier arm 52 ahead of its driven position, thebucket 64 at the diametrically opposite end of carrier arm 52 isnecessarily also swinging ahead of its driven position. Therefore itshould not be in the middle of an automatically controlled processingstep when this occurs. For this reason, a large angular space betweenthe hopper 12 and the immersion tank 14 is left free of any processingstations; i.e., the clear area in the upper right hand quadrant of FIG.l which is substantially diametrically opposite to the processingstation represented `by the centrifuge 16.

Attention should also be paid to some of the details of construction ofthe carrier arms 50 and 52 which perrnit the manual advance-of thesecarrier arms'as described. Both these arms have a channel cross section,as illustrated by the sectional view of carrier arm 52 in FIG. 3. Inorder to avoid unnecessary increases in the dimensions of thisgalvanizing apparatus, the carrier arms 50 and 52 do not overlie oneanother to a double thickness in the vicinity of central post 30, butinstead are relieved in a complementary manner so as to nest one overthe other. The carrier arm 50 has its top half removed as indicated atreference numeral in FIGS. 3 and 4, while arm 52 has its bottom halfremoved as indicated by reference numeral 132 in FIG. 2. Moreover, thelength of the relieved portion of the carrier ar-ms 50 and 52 must begreat enough to permit either one of these arms to be pulled manuallyahead of the -position of the other arm. For example, as best seen inFIG. 4, the length of the relieved portion 130 of carrier arm 50 must begreat enough to permit carrier arm 52 to be rotated forwardly relativethereto as indicated by the arrow 120 and the dotted line representationof the carrier arm 52.

Returning now to our consideration of the processing station representedby the centrifuge 16, it will be appreciated that a large 'bucket fullof galvanized metal parts is a fairly heavy load for a human operator tolower into the centrifuge and raise from the centrifuge by muscle power.Therefore, this invention contemplates providing the operator with apower assist in the form of an air cylinder mechanism which is mountedon the cylindrical drum 116. This power assist mechanism should not beoperated automatically as a function of angular position, in the waythat the buckets are raised and lowered at every other stage of thegalvanizing process, because the centrifuging operation is intended to-be done under manual control, with the human operator pulling thebucket ahead of its driven position and manually selecting the time atwhich the bucket is to be lowered into the centrifuge and raisedtherefrom. Accordingly, there is provided a foot pedal 142 by which theoperator can control the air cylinder 140 at will, causing it to lower abucket into the centrifuge 16 or raise it from the centrifuge whendesired. The air cylinder 140, the foot pedal 142, and the connectionstherebetween can all be of conventional construction.

An opening shaft 144 extends downwardly from the air cylinder shaft 140,and is surrounded `by a counterbalancing spring 146 which assists in theraising of the bucket. At the lower extremity of the operating shaft 144is a horizontal bridge member 148. This bridge member is normally urged'by operating shaft 144 to a downward position indicated by the solidline representation 148 in FIG. 3. In this position, the bridge member148 serves to `bridge a gap formed in the cam track 114 because of alarge opening 150 cut into the cylindrical drum 116 at the angularposition corresponding to the centrifuge 16. Note also that the bridgemember 148 is circularly curved as shown in FIG. 4 to conform to thecurvature of the cylindrical drum 116 and its cam track 114.

When any one of the cam-followers 112, 212, 312, or 412 runs olf the camtrack 114, in the direction of arrow 70, FIG. 4, into the vicinity ofthe gap 150, it rides onto the bridge member 148 which is then in itslower position. In FIGS. 3 and 4 the follower 212 is shown in thepositionjust described.

Since the gap 150 and the bridge member 148 which bridges it are locatedat an angular position corresponding to the centrifuge 16, when theoperator manually swings any one of the buckets 60 through 66 forward sothat it cornes into registration with the centrifuge 16, the particularcam-follower associated with that bucket will be in engagement with thebridge member 148 and in alignment with the gap 150. Assume for thepurposes of description that it is the cam-follower 212, as illustratedin FIGS. 3 and 4, which occupies that position. The operator can thenoperate the foot pedal 142 to actuate the air cylinder 140. This drawsthe operating shaft 144 and bridge member 148 upwardly against the biasof counterbalancing spring 146. As the bridge member 148 rises into 7 hegap 150, the cam-follower 212 is allowed to follow it lpwardly into thegap 150 to the dotted line position ndicated in FIG. 3. This allows thecrank arm 210 to ise to its dotted line position, and causes thecrankshaft L90 to rotate in the direction for lowering the associateducket into the centrifuge.

The operator may then unhook the bucket and perform he centrifugingoperation. Subsequently, he re-engages he hook and releases the footpedal 142 to actuate the tir cylinder 140 so that the operating shaft144 drives the )ridge member 148 downwardly to its original position.This drives the cam-follower 212 and crank arm 210 lownwardly to rotatethe crankshaft 290 in the direction o raise the bucket from thecentrifuge. The counteralancing spring 146 assists in this liftingoperation. Subequently, as the bucket and its associated carrier arm i2proceed in their circular orbit to the neXt processing tation, thecam-follower 212 rides off the bridge memer 148 in the direction ofarrow 70 and continues its ravel on the cam track 114 (as thecam-follower 112 is een to do in FIGS. 3 and 4).

During the remaining phases of the galvanizing procss, the operatorguides the bucket to the unloader 18 ind causes that mechanism to tipthe bucket and unload ts contents into the exit channel 20. The operatornext ;uides the bucket into position near the hopper 12 so hat it can bereloaded with small parts to be galvanized. 2rom that point on thegalvanizing apparatus of this inyention will automatically take thebucket of parts around he blank portion of the orbit ybetween hopper 12and ank 14, and later immerse the bucket of parts in the galvanizingbath of tank 14 and remove the bucket thererom. Finally, the bucketagain reaches the point where perator attention is required as itapproaches the cenrifuge 16.

FIG. 6 is intended to illustrate one of several possible tlternativeembodiments within the general principle of his invention. In thisembodiment the mechanisms ilustrated in FIGS 1 through 5 for raising andlowering he buckets, are replaced by individual actuators 200. Fhese maybe electrically actuated solenoids or they may )e hydraulic or pneumaticcylinders of conventional contruction. In any case, the electrical,hydraulic, or pneunatie power lines to actuate the devices 200 can bear- `anged in a known manner, using electrical slip rings and:ommutating switches or their hydraulic or pneumatic equivalents. Thesemay be arranged so that the actuators 00 are energized and deenergizedas a function of anguar position, to raise and lower the bucketsautomatically n accordance with the requirements of the different proc-',ssing stations. When the buckets reach the centrifuge tation, however,their associated actuators 200 would at hat point be released fromautomatic control and given )ver to operator control so that the bucketcan be raised Lnd lowered at will in the manner described above.

Regardless of which specific embodiment is employed, he foregoingdescription merely illustrates the basic prin- :iple of this invention,which concerns novel semiautonatic processing apparatus having numerousadvantages )ver the prior art in that it is less expensive than highrolume production equipment, yet more convenient to 1se and capable ofgreater production than prior art equipment involving a degree ofhumanintervention.

Therefore the following claims, the function of which s to define thescope of patent protection to which this nvention is entitled, should begiven a latitude of inter- )retation Iwhich is consistent with theinventive principles :merging from the foregoing disclosure.

The invention claimed is:

1. Semiautomatic processing apparatus comprising:

(A) an upstanding central post;

(B) a plurality of radial arms mounted on said post for rotationthereabout;

(C) driving means rotatable about said post operatively engageable withsaid arms for imparting rota.-

tion thereto in one direction and operatively disengageable throughrotational movement imparted to said arms in said one directionindependently `of said driving means;

(D) a plurality of vehicles suspended from said arms for holding partsto be processed by a succession of steps;

(E) and a plurality of discrete processing stations Afor performing saidsteps, located at respective angular positions around the circle ofrotational travel of said vehicles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which said arms are formed withrespective rearwardly facing surfaces relative to the direction of saiddriven rotation, and said driving means move forwardly against saidrearwardly facing surfaces to effect driving engagement, but permit saidrearwardly facing surfaces to disengage freely in the forward directionwhen said arms are pulled ahead manually.

3. The apparatus of claim 1:

(A) wherein said processing stations include at least one immersion tankfor said parts, said tank having an entrance end and an exit end;

(B) said apparatus further comprising means for raising and loweringsaid vehicles from said arms and for automatically controlling theraising and lowering of said vehicles as a function of the angularposition of their respective arms to automatically immerse said vehiclesin said tank near said entrance end and raise said vehicles from saidtank near said exit end thereof. v

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising powerassisted meansunder manual control for raising and lowering said vehicles at aprocessing station other than said immersion tank.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said raising and lowering meanscomprises:

(A) crankshafts rotatably mounted on said respective arms;

(B) rockers aflixed to the radially outer ends of said respectivecrankshafts, said vehicles being suspended from said respective rockerswhereby said vehicles are raised and lowered as said crankshafts arerotated to raise and lower said rockers;

(C) respective cranks aflixed to the radially inner ends of saidrespective crankshafts to control rotation thereof;

' (D) means affixed to said central post, forming a circular cam trackwith vertical undulations located so as to correlate said raising andlowering of said vehicles with angular position;

(E) and respective followers on said cranks engaging and following saidcam track circularly to raise and lower said vehicles in accordance withsaid undulations.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

(A) a vertically relieved gap formed in said cam track at an angularlocation corresponding to a processing station other than said immersiontank;

(B) a bridge member extending across said gap Whereby to engage said camfollowers;

(C) means mounting said bridge member for vertical movement in said gap;

(D) power means for raising and lowering said bridge member whereby toraise and lower said vehicles;

(E) and means for manually controlling said power means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

(A) said driving means comprises a horizontal drive table rotatablymounted on said central post, a motor and transmission connected torotate said drive table about said post, and a pair of drive pinsupstanding from said table;

(B) said radial arms overlying said drive table in position to beengaged by said drive pins to produce rotation of said arms.

9 10 S. The processing apparatus of claim 1, further com- ReferencesCited prislng:

means for automatically changing the height of said Y UNITED STATESPATENTS vehicles at least at one of said processing stations 2,776,6401/1957 MklOfSkY 118-425 whereby to bring said vehicles into processingposition, D RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner 9. The apparatus ofclaim 8 further comprising power means, and means for manuallycontrolling said power U.S. Cl. X.R.

means, for changing the height of said vehicles at the will 113-425;134-73 of an operator at said selected processing station.

